Skip Holtz on Bob Diaco: 'He is good at what he does'
This time last year, Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz was shopping for a defensive coordinator. And it didn’t take him long to find his man.
“When (defensive coordinator) Blake Baker left to go to Miami (Fla.), you start looking,” said Holtz. “Who ya gonna hire to be your DC? Bob’s (Diaco) name is one that game up when we were vetting names that we wanted to meet with at the (AFCA) convention.”
Holtz had interviews set up for 8 a.m, 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. But he ended up pushing the later ones back after he began talking to Diaco early one day.
“Just had a great conversation with Bob,” said Holtz. “Was really impressed with him and his passion for his system and what he did.
“He had done his research. He’s very intelligent. The interview went really well. We have a lot of the same beliefs. We just hit it off. When he came in, we hired him. I thought he did a great job.”
Diaco transformed the Louisiana Tech defense in his one season in Ruston. Now, he is at Purdue, hired by Jeff Brohm in late December to replace Nick Holt. Holtz hated to see Diaco go, but he appreciated all he did during a 10-3 season that culminated with a 14-0 victory vs. Miami (Fla.) in the Independence Bowl.
The win allowed the Bulldogs to reach double-digit victories for the first time since 1984 and run their postseason winning streak to six — the longest current streak in the country. According to Stats Inc., the Bulldogs became the first Group of 5 program to shut out a Power 5 school in a bowl game since the beginning of the BCS/College Football Playoff era in 1998.
The Bulldogs finished third in C-USA and 31st nationally in scoring defense in 2019, allowing 21.8 points per game. And Diaco's defense scored five touchdowns last season, all on interception returns, to finish first in the conference and third nationally in the category.
“Obviously, a new coordinator, a new year and having to teach a new staff and new team your terminology, your package, trying to get everyone comfortable in it,” said Holtz. “He did a great job.
“I thought as the year went on, we got better and better. And that’s the mark of a good football team, one that shows improvement. That was one thing we did, evidenced by our shutout of Miami in the bowl game.”
Holtz entrusted Diaco, who has been a coordinator or co-coordinator at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Nebraska in addition to Louisiana Tech, to do what he felt was necessary to make the Bulldog defense better.
“Bob has a package,” says Holtz. “He knows it. He knows what he wants to do. He knows how to scratch where it itches.”
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What type of scheme did Diaco run at Louisiana Tech?
“It is built on a 3-4 defense,” said Holtz. “(Former DC) Blake (Baker) was out of a 4-3 and moved to a 3-4. Bob is based out of a 3-4 but can move to a 4-3 or 4-2, predicated on formations. It’s a 3-4 defense, but he does a great job and has a lot of flexibility in his package.”
Hotz says Diaco’s defense showed a variety of looks, attacking at times with blitzes and playing straight up on other occasions.
“I think it’s predicated upon his opponent,” said Holtz. “And his personnel. I think that was one of the things he did a great job of was coming in in one year and he made his system fit his talent rather than make his talent fit his system. He has a system. He has all the pressure packages you want or he can sit back and play zone.
“But what he did a great job of, was some weeks you had injuries and guys can’t play. And I thought he did a really good job of putting his players in a position with a chance to be successful.”
Holtz has one word to describe Diaco on the practice field.
“Energy,” he said. “I wouldn’t say ‘yeller.' He’s loud. But, I wouldn’t classify him as a yeller. He’s not a cusser, screamer, degrader, that’s not him. He’s very positive. He’s upbeat and he has a lot of energy.”
And he has an eye for talent, too, as a recruiter.
“He did a great job of evaluating here,” said Holtz. “We had one of our best recruiting years here. He knows his system, he knows what he wants in his system. Bob is very organized. Bob is very intelligent. And he is very systematic.
“He knows what he’s looking for at each position. You can get by with a little less height here as long as he possesses these intangibles. He has been doing what he has been doing for a long time. … He has a very systematic approach and he is good at what he does.”
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